


He Has Nightmares

by shiawasena_neko



Category: Edward Scissorhands (1990)
Genre: Angst, Bedwetting, Crying, Family, Fluff, Hot Cocoa, Hurt/Comfort, Nightmares, good brother Kevin, good sister Kim
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-14
Updated: 2020-11-14
Packaged: 2021-03-10 01:01:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,555
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27565693
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shiawasena_neko/pseuds/shiawasena_neko
Summary: Edward has been prone to nightmares lately and his new family helps him cope.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 24





	1. Chapter 1

It was the third Saturday of the month, which was designated as Family Movie Night. 

As per usual, Bill had taken the kids to Block Buster and had them pick out one movie each. They stopped off for food on the way home. Since the kids got to choose the movies, Peg got the night off from cooking.

Their dinner went well enough, though Peg had noticed Edward staring into space as everyone else ate. He’d been tired lately, but when asked about it he never had an answer. 

As the meal wrapped up, Kevin and Kim went to set up the VCR while Bill did the dishes, and Peg did her best to get Edward to at least eat _something_. He’d allowed her to feed him a few bites of meat and potatoes, but had lost interest in the meal after that. It worried her that he didn’t seem to eat much, but she tried to push her fears away. Perhaps he had a small appetite because there had been so little to eat up in the mansion, or perhaps he simply didn’t need to eat at all. She’d yet to ask about that.

“Movie’s ready!” Kevin called out, breaking Peg from her thoughts. 

She smiled at Edward and picked up his plate.

“Why don’t you go grab a seat on the couch. I’ll be right in.”

Edward nodded and stood up, then slowly shuffled to the living room.

00

“What did you pick?” Peg asked, as she sat down next to Edward. Bill was in his chair, and the kids were sitting on the floor.

“I got Friday the Thirteenth and Kim got The Breakfast Club,” Kevin answered. “Can I start the movie?”

“Go ahead,” Peg told him.

Kevin got up, killed the lights, pressed play, then sat back down.

00

Edward tried to focus on the movie, he really did, but there was a lot of violence, too, and it made him uneasy.

“I think this might be a bit much,” Peg remarked after Mrs. Voorhees was decapitated, surprised that her husband had allowed Kevin to pick such a film.

“Shh, we’re okay,” Kevin said, before directing his attention back at the television.

When Bill said nothing, Peg dropped the subject. Yes, Kevin and Kim could probably handle it, but she had noticed Edward flinch a few times and she hoped it wasn’t bothering him too much.

When it happened for a third time, she frowned and turned to him.

“You can close your eyes if you want,” she whispered. “Or if you want to go in your room until the next movie’s on, that’s fine too.”

Edward looked at her, a nervous expression on his face, but said nothing. He didn’t want to ruin the evening by going off on his own. Instead, he tried to think of other things to distract himself from the scenes playing out in front of him. He spent the next couple of hours stuck in his memories of being with his father.

00

Edward yawned as the movie ended, having barely even noticed that it was over. It was getting dark outside and any light that had come in through the windows was now gone. He wished he could sleep for a bit, but he didn’t dare speak that thought. They still had another movie to get through after all.

Bill got up to make some popcorn while Kim made hot cocoa for everyone. The smell of the cocoa calmed Edward somewhat. It reminded him of the chocolate chip cookies that were made in his old house. It tasted great, too, and he surprised Peg by drinking the entire mug of it.

But, having a warm drink and being in the dark was taking its toll, and he was starting to have difficulty keeping his eyes open. He tried to tap his leg to keep himself awake, but it didn’t do much good. By twenty minutes in, he was starting to slump over. 

“Here,” Peg whispered, as she pulled a throw pillow from behind the couch and placed it on her lap. “Lie down.”

Edward blinked, but decided to do as he was told. He on his side, his head on the pillow, doing his best to ensure his scissors didn’t touch him or anyone else. Then he felt Peg place a blanket over him. It was Peg’s fingers in his hair that was the last straw. It felt so good, and calming. He was asleep within minutes.

00

Edward’s dreams tended to be disjointed, containing patches of memories and various ideas based on things he’d seen. Rarely did they ever tell a story. This time, he’d dreamed that he was back in the mansion, listening to his father read to him, when Jason Voorhees crashed through the door and cut his father’s head off.

Of course, Edward did his best to attack Jason, but for some reason he was unable to move. It was as if his feet were stuck in place, and any movement he made was useless. He watched as Jason krept closer to him and he raised his scissors in defense, breathing heavily as he panicked. 

And then, someone called his name. 

“Edward!”

The voice said, loudly.

He stopped trying to move, and tried to focus on the voice.

It called out again, louder and more insistent this time.

“Edward! Wake up!”

He felt something tap his shoulder and his eyes flew open, only to see Bill, Kevin and Kim all staring at him. The lights were on, and everyone looked concerned.

“Are you okay?” Peg asked. 

He turned onto his back and looked up at her.

“You were moaning and breathing real heavy,” Kevin said, “Were you having a nightmare?”

Edward’s heart was still racing, and he tried to calm himself before sitting up.

“I dreamed about Jason, and my father,” he muttered, looking around again. It helped him to see that he was really awake, that everything he’d dreamed was just that - a dream - and that he was safe.

Peg sighed.

“I knew that movie was too violent! Well, you’re safe, Edward. I promise. It was just a movie, none of it was real.” 

“I know,” he said softly. Now that he wasn’t quite as terrified, he felt somewhat embarrassed. Kim was looking at him as if he had three heads.

“I’m sorry,” he added.

“Don’t be,” Peg replied. “We should’ve been more careful. You’ve never seen movies like that.”

“Movie night’s over anyway,” Kim added, forcing a smile. She felt bad for her adopted brother. 

“I’m sorry I missed the rest,” he repeated. 

“It’s absolutely fine. It’s getting late, anyway. No wonder you were tired,” Peg told him. “I think it’s time for all of us to get to bed.”

“Hopefully you can sleep tonight after all that,” Bill said. 

Edward kept quiet. He was still very tired, but he wasn’t so sure that he could sleep.

00

Peg sat on the edge of the bed as she tucked Edward in. Kevin was in the top bunk, reading a book with a small book light. Edward looked as if he was exhausted but trying to fight falling asleep.

“Now, you don’t have anything to worry about,” she told him. “That movie was fake, and we’re all completely safe here. The front door is locked, the windows are locked, and no one is going to hurt any of us, okay?”

Edward couldn’t help but smile. Peg’s words did help a little.

“Okay,” he responded. 

“I promise you, everything is fine,” she went on.

Edward nodded and yawned again, feeling much more relaxed. If Peg said that they were safe, then they were. 

“You just get some rest and if you need anything at all, come get us, alright?” 

“Alright,” Edward whispered. 

He smiled again as Peg kissed him on the forehead.

“Sweet dreams, son.” 

That night, Edward didn’t have any more bad dreams.


	2. Chapter 2

Things had gone well for months, and Edward was slowly starting to feel comfortable among the Boggs and their neighbors. He’d been getting more rest and felt better in general. Peg had finally figured out what foods Edward enjoyed most, and had gotten him to eat more regularly, so he looked less waifish and more like a normal, healthy young man. They’d even gotten a stylist to untangle and trim his hair, which was once again long and well kept, falling past his shoulders. 

They’d had meetings with doctors and surgeons about fixing his hands, and he had even expressed interest in possibly getting an education or finding employment. 

And then, the break-ins happened. 

One evening, the entire neighborhood had woken to the sound of screams. Someone had broken into the Simmon’s house, smashing down the front door and breaking windows, stealing whatever they could grab while Mrs. Simmons stood helplessly in the kitchen with her two children. Mr. Simmons had been away on business, and she had been all alone.

Of course, the police responded, but the intruder had worn a mask and Mrs. Simmons couldn’t give a clear description.

It happened again two days later, but this time, there was an injury. The lady of the house had been slashed on her side as the intruder tried to stab her when she lunged at him. The police were working on finding the person responsible, but it was slow going.

The neighbors talked about it constantly. Several had purchased firearms. Bill had even spoken of it, which to Edward showed that he didn’t feel safe. If Bill didn’t feel safe, how could he?

It wasn’t long before the nightmares started back up again.

00

Kevin woke to the sound of Edward talking.

At first, he couldn’t make out what Edward was saying, as he seemed to be speaking very silently. Only after listening intently did Kevin hear that Edward was quietly repeating ‘stop’.

Kevin climbed down from the top bunk to examine Edward more closely. The young man was twitching in his sleep, flinching at the feeling of being attacked. 

Kevin was unsure of what to do. It didn’t seem smart to touch Edward to wake him, especially if he was dreaming of someone hurting him. He could easily accidentally cut or stab someone. Still, it seemed cruel to let him continue dreaming as he was so obviously terrified. 

Before Kevin could decide on what to do, Edward surprised him by speaking louder. This time saying “no!” before he let out a huge breath and quickly sat up. He looked around the room wildly, his scissors twitching at his sides.

“Hey, Edward! You’re okay,” Kevin tried to reassure him. “You just had a nightmare.”

The boy went to switch on the lights, hoping it might calm Edward somewhat. He turned back around to see Edward staring down at the bed, a horrified expression on his face.

“It’s alright,” Kevin went on. “I promise, you’re safe.”

Edward slowly turned his face to look at his adopted brother, his eyes wide.

“I didn’t mean to,” he whispered, his eyes tearing up now. He repeated the statement a second later, adding in an “I’m sorry.” 

“What do you mean? You didn’t do anything,” Kevin replied, confused. He moved closer to Edward. “What are you talking about?”

It was then that he smelled it, and realized that Edward had wet the bed.

Frowning, Kevin slowly pulled back Edward’s comforter, revealing a large wet spot on the sheets and on his pajamas. Edward, for his part, had started freaking out even more, repeating the words ‘I’m sorry’ under his breath.

Kevin shook his head, suddenly knowing what he had to do. He placed a hand on Edward’s shoulder.

“Edward,” he said, firmly. “It’s okay. Breathe.”

He watched as Edward locked eyes with him and took a deep, shaky breath. 

“You’re okay. I’ll help you get cleaned up and wash the sheets, no one will ever know.”

Edward sniffled. He had stopped talking, but continued to cry silently, mostly out of humiliation and fear. The dream had felt incredibly real. He’d felt the intruder stabbing him, after they’d attacked Kim and Peg, killing both of them. It had been terrifying, as in his dream he felt completely helpless. 

He had zoned out again, only coming to when he felt something soft pressed against his face. 

Kevin was holding a tissue to his nose.

“Blow,” Kevin instructed. 

Edward did as he was told, blowing his nose and feeling slightly better as it cleared. He closed his eyes as Kevin took another tissue and began wiping his tears away.

“It’s okay,” Kevin repeated. “Really. Now get up, we have some work to do.”

00

Once Edward was standing, Kevin gathered up his sheets and blankets into a pile and brought them down to the washing machine. For the first time ever, he felt thankful that his mom had insisted that he and Kim do their own laundry, as he knew how to work the machine.

He dumped the sheets in, turned it on and stepped back.

“We’ll wash your clothes after this. Mom will never know,” Kevin reassured him. 

Edward said nothing, but looked on as Kevin selected a new set of sheets to bring upstairs, along with a throw blanket.

“After we get you cleaned up we’ll flip the mattress and put these on.”

Edward nodded in agreement, and quietly followed Kevin upstairs.

00

“I’m sorry,” Edward reiterated, as Kevin helped him step out of his pajamas. He felt like crying all over again. His father would have been mortified if he had seen him like this. Not that the old man had ever abused him, but he’d taught him enough etiquette to understand that this was an embarrassing situation.

Kevin sighed as he wet a towel. Turning on the bath would have woken his parents.

“When I was younger I had accidents a few times, too. It happens. It’s not a big deal. I need to clean you up.”

Edward cringed as Kevin began to wipe down his legs, crotch and behind, making sure to get him as clean as possible.

“Stay here.” Kevin bundled the towel into the pile of Edward’s dirty pajamas and walked off to their bedroom. He returned to the bathroom to see Edward standing exactly where he’d left him.

“Here.” Kevin held out the pajama pants, and helped Edward get into them. He then helped with his shirt.

Kevin picked up the pile of clean sheets he had brought upstairs and nodded at the door.

“Let’s go,” he said.

00

It was a bit difficult for Kevin to flip the mattress, but he managed to do it before putting the new sheets back on. He topped it with the throw blanket and motioned towards the bed.

“Come on,” he told Edward.

Edward bit his lip, confused.

“We still have to do the rest of the laundry.”

“I’ll finish it. Go to sleep.”

“But -”

“Edward, I got it. Come on.”

Edward shut his mouth and made his way over, allowing Kevin to tuck him in.

“Think you’ll be okay?” Kevin asked.

Edward shrugged, but said nothing.

Kevin sighed.

“It’s almost dawn. No one’s going to break in now, not when daylight is so close. They’d get caught. You’re safe. Get some sleep. I’ll be up too, making sure, alright?”

Edward nodded.

“Th-thank you,” he murmured, closing his eyes.

“That’s what brothers are for,” Kevin replied.


	3. Chapter 3

It was a holiday weekend, which Kim had spent with Jim and their friends. Once again, she was returning early in the morning, while the rest of the house was asleep.

She punched in the code to the alarm system Bill had installed before entering. Even though the burglar that had tormented their neighborhood had been caught, having the system put everyone more at ease.

She walked in quietly, trying her best not to make any noise. She made her way to her bedroom and changed into a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt before heading to the kitchen. She hadn’t eaten since lunch, and wanted something small before she went to sleep.

00

As she entered the kitchen, Kim was surprised to see Edward sitting at the table. Well, she saw his outline in the moonlight shining into the room. The lights were off.

He wasn’t doing anything, just sitting there, apparently staring into space.

“Edward?” She called out, not wanting to frighten him. “It’s Kim. I’m going to turn on the light.”

Edward said nothing, but half smiled at Kim when he saw her.

“You’re home,” he noted. 

“Yeah, just got in. What’s going on with you, are you okay?” She noticed that he was dressed in his pajamas, and that he looked more tired than usual. 

She knew about how Edward had nightmares at times. Not that anyone had ever directly stated it, but she’d heard Kevin talking to him at night occasionally, and had noticed the extra sheets in the dryer. It didn’t take a genius to put it all together. She supposed she couldn’t blame him for being nervous.

“Yes,” he said, voice low. He looked tense, as if he were wary of her for some reason.

“Hm.” Kim walked to the fridge and pulled out the milk, then began searching the cabinets for the chocolate sauce. She knew just what to do to help Edward relax.

“I’m making myself some hot cocoa. You want some?”

That made Edward smile. He loved hot cocoa, especially the way that Kim made it.

“Please?”

“Of course.” She smiled at him and began to heat up the milk, mixing in the chocolate before pouring it into two mugs. She topped Edward’s with whipped cream and a bit more chocolate, just the way he liked it, and put a spoon and straw in it. She took her own mug and sat next to him.

As if second nature, she picked up the spoon and took a bit of whipped cream with the cocoa and held it to Edward’s lips. The family tended to take turns feeding him, and it didn’t phase her to do this. He could drink the rest of it as it cooled.

The two sat silently, Kim taking sips of her own drink amidst giving Edward spoonfuls of his.

It worked as she thought it would. He looked much calmer by the time he finished it.

“So, what’s going on?” Kim tried again. “You’re up really late.”

“Had a bad dream,” Edward admitted, not meeting her gaze. It was bad enough that Kim didn’t reciprocate his feelings for her; he didn’t want her viewing him as entirely weak as well.

“I see,” Kim replied. “Want to talk about it?”

Edward shook his head. He didn’t think he could describe it, even if he wanted to. It’d been flashes of images this time. Of his father, dead, his body decaying. Of Peg dying in the street. Of blood and lightning and thunder. He’d woken up shaking, but thankfully he hadn’t woken Kevin. He’d forgotten that Kim was due home that evening, else he wouldn’t have come out.

“I used to get them a lot,” Kim said. “Not so much scary as they were embarrassing. I used to dream that I went to school and that I was naked! And no one told me!” She smirked, hoping that Edward would find it funny.

He did, smiling as she spoke.

“Really?” He asked.

“Yep! And everyone would point and laugh.”

“That’s not nice,” Edward remarked.

“It was a silly nightmare. My point is, everyone has them, it’s nothing to be ashamed of.”

Edward nodded, feeling slightly more at ease.

“There was blood,” he told her. “And...my father. He was dead.”

Kim pouted sympathetically.

“I’m sorry, Edward. Those are awful things to dream.”

Edward simply nodded, before he yawned. Now that he’d calmed a bit he was starting to feel tired again. He just hoped that if he had another nightmare, he didn’t wake Kevin. He’d done so twice that week already by talking in his sleep.

Kim got up and took the mugs to the sink. 

“You ready to go back to bed?” She asked. 

Edward shrugged. He might as well just stay up and avoid the chance of any issues.

“Are you afraid?” Kim asked. 

Edward closed his eyes, embarrassed.

“No. Don’t want to wake up Kevin.”

“I see. Well, you can sleep in the basement if you want. Or in my room. Just this once, I mean.” She’d gotten rid of that waterbed and replaced it with a larger mattress, so there was enough room. Edward just looked so sleepy and nervous, it seemed like the right thing to do.

“Really?” Edward asked again.

“I mean, yeah. If you think you’ll have another nightmare, sure. I’m a deep sleeper anyway. It takes a lot to wake me up.”

Edward’s heart started to beat faster at the idea of sleeping next to Kim. Even if she wasn’t interested in him romantically, being next to her was always nice.

He stood up and followed Kim into her bedroom. She got into bed first, then held up the blanket for Edward to join her. 

“Let’s get some sleep,” she told him. “Hopefully you won’t have any more bad dreams.”

Edward nodded and closed his eyes. He drifted off to the warmth of Kim’s body and the sound of her gentle breathing.


End file.
